“I think architectural thinking is quite often about how to manage complexity, how to manage the complexity of different stakeholders -- an architect is a mediator between those different demands. And politics operates quite often in similar ways,” he said on the connection between architecture and politics. “I think what politics and architecture have in common is the need for strategy and for thinking and to design strategies."

Check out some of Powerhouse Company’s designs below and watch the full video above to see what else de Ru has to say about politics, empathy and education in architecture.